Old Age

The fear of becoming old is born of the recognition that one is not living now the life that one wishes. It is equivalent to a sense of abusing the present (Susan Sontag). When I read this quote it stopped me in my tracks with its relevant truth. In a single moment’s clarity came why I was so unhappy with my life in the past: I was not living the life I wanted. While that consternation has not evaporated completely, it has diminished as the life desired has, in recent years, become a closer match to the one I live. There are many simple sign posts about how to find greater contentment with living but most of us miss them most of the time. Where lies the greatest dissatisfaction or strongest fear is frequently where the best opportunity for improving one’s life can be found.

Death is not the greatest loss in life.The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.Norman Cousins